Welcome supporters of the McKinney Monarch Initiative!

Monarch butterflies are beautiful and a joy to observe as they gracefully fly from plant to plant. But have you ever wondered if there were other reasons to care about them? If so, read on.

The population of the Monarch butterfly has decreased dramatically over the last few decades. Scientists are working on identifying the causes; however, many believe that habitat reduction, resource loss and use of herbicides and insecticides are major contributing factors.

The fate of the Monarch, one very memorable and easily-observed species, is a reminder that other pollinators, too, are sharing similar fates. They require many of the same resources as the Monarch butterfly. Without a diverse source of pollinators, we would lose many of our favorite crops—they wouldn’t be able to reproduce. You may have heard about the decline of the once abundant European honeybee. This phenomenon often makes it into the news. However, a less known fact is that our native, and arguably more effective, pollinators are suffering from similar circumstances.

These facts illustrate a sad, but not hopeless, case for the plight of our pollinators. And, where there is hope, there’s a way to help! You may wonder what you can do as a result. There are a number of ways you can help, and many of them can be done in small, incremental steps. Click here to learn more.

Heard Natural Science Museum & Wildlife Sanctuary is located in McKinney, Texas. The City of McKinney is proud to have joined hundreds of cities across the U.S. in support of the monarch butterfly and other pollinators, whose populations have declined, by signing the National Wildlife Federation’s Mayors’ Monarch Pledge. We are pleased to be partnering with them in these efforts. Click here to learn more.